When asked why I love feral cats so much there is a very simple answer; they are my lifeline. I always knew street cats existed but did I realize they were feral? Not until 1997 when I moved to Manitoba and visited the farm where I have now lived since 2002. Walking in the barn that first time I was greeted by four pairs of eyes watching me and every movement I made.

Ted having grown up with a mother who fed feral cats and now his father who lived at the farm at the time knew these 4 cats and upon hearing his voice three slowly made their way out of hiding and it was in that one moment etched forever in time that I was introduced to feral cats. Smokey, Rep, Pudge, and Bandit were born and lived here. Smokey and Pudge both gray cats, Rep a Tuxedo, and all I knew about Bandit is he was a striped cat who never showed himself to people but watched you with peering green eyes from his hiding place. These are the feral cats I grew to know, care for, love, and paved the way for the past 18 years of caregiving and living a pro-active life for more ethical and humane treatments of these beautiful cats.

Why do I love feral cats so much? They are misunderstood and frowned upon; similar to how I myself often seem to feel. They carry within a spirit that perseveres against adversity; similar to the warrior within myself that will always strive to fight for what he feels are injustices in this world. They are spiritual beings I connect with. They are the soul within myself and the heart that beats with mine; they are teachers and mentors.

I don’t spend as much time on the front lines anymore. My spirit has been broken time and again, my patience tested, my heart broken and after 18 years I feel it is time to let New and strong warriors take to the trenches and fight the battle but it doesn’t mean I am not fighting anymore; I will always fight for the feral soul that encapsulates who I am and who I see when I gaze in the eyes of feral cats and if God were to come to me today and tell me that from this moment on all feral cats as well as homeless animals would be cared for if I gave in exchange my life I would in a heartbeat.